Spider-Man: Peter Parker
by InsomniacFics
Summary: Original Spider-Man story with everyone's favorite characters!Peter is going through his transition from female to male, while living with Aunt May. Down on money, MJ suggests asking their friend, Harry Osborn, for help, and Peter is quickly offered a job as an Oscorp investigative photographer! Things turn south quickly and Peter's going through more changes than he really wanted!
1. Trouble (Again)

Peter took a deep breath, stretching his spine to let the pressure in his body release. His heart hammered a mile a minute as he tiptoed through the area.

'_Don't get caught. Don't get caught._'

A mantra in his mind. He clenched his jaw, teeth clacking quietly as the door opened. He quickly ducked behind the counter, catching the darkened reflection in the steel refrigerator. The shadow moved behind the counter, searching as Peter forced himself to stay still. He took a quiet inhale as he focused him, adjusting so he could make his move.

As he stood to attack, an arm wrapped around him and he choked a slight. The attacker managed to get a drop on him and pulled him over the counter. He struggled and thrashed, his foot knocking against the cabinet door. The jolt caused something inside to shatter, him and the attacker freezing in place.

"Peter! Mary! Are you two doing that stupid game again?!" An older woman's voice called out from the upstairs.

Peter grimaced and looked to MJ who still had her arm around his neck. She looked caught between running and telling the truth.

* * *

The shattered glass was an old cookie jar that was never really ever used. Still, the teens felt guilty. "I can totally pay for it," MJ said.

"I'm so sorry, Aunt May," Peter sighed.

May Parker looked between the two of them, judging the looks on their faces and sighed. "Quit playing that...whatever it is game in the house. Take it outside, please?"

"We're training so we can fight bad guys," MJ said childishly, enough that Peter snickered. May raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, with all the weird stuff that happens in New York, figured it'd be good to know some self-defense tactics and how to fight."

May crossed her arms. "Then why not take some class that teaches you that in a safer environment? There is that place downtown...uhm...Fogwell's, I think?"

"We tried that, Aunt May," Peter sighed as he helped her put away the shattered glass. He hated that ugly cat anyway. It creeped him out too much as a kid. "They said we're too young to be learning how to box but isn't it supposed to be good to learn young."

May smiled and kissed her head. "You'll figure something out. Preferably that something being _out_ of the house." Peter made a face at that. "You know I love you, Pete."

"Love you too, Aunt M-"

"Are you wearing your binder?!" May hissed, making Peter flinch. MJ snickered behind him. "You can't be wearing that all day! You could hurt yourself. Off. Now."

Peter groaned and went to his room. MJ followed close behind and went in with him. She plopped on the bed as he stripped off his shirt, reluctantly removing the binder. He took a few deep breaths, hating that his ribs felt less tense as he pulled on a tee shirt.

"Aunt May is right," MJ said as Peter did a few chest stretches. "You shouldn't be pushing it. It's bad enough you wear that during gym."

"I have to wait to get surgery," He sighed, flopping on the bed beside her. "I feel bad enough with her using her insurance to help pay for my shots."

"I know, man," MJ sighed, smiling a bit. "Hey. At least you're pulling in some bucks with that blog! You've gotta be racking it in."

"Yeah, great. I wish," He sighed, grimacing as he glanced over at his camera bag on his laptop. He thought about the photos that he thought were great, but the comment section told him otherwise.

"If anything, I'm sure Harry could find a way to help you." Peter groaned loudly at that. "C'mon, man! It's Harry! He's always willing to help you!"

"Yeah, but just cuz he's rich, doesn't mean he's gotta! It feels like I'm going to a sugar daddy or something." MJ went silent. "Don't say it."

"I'm just saying, you and Harry did date for five minutes in sixth grade," MJ teased, the boy throwing a pillow at her. She snickered as she caught it, hugging it to her chest. "If anything, I know his dad could always use help in his lab. Maybe see if you can work for him."

Peter thought about it for a long moment. "Maybe. I don't know," He muttered. The pillow was thrown back at him, making him sigh. "Isn't it, I don't know, weird? Like...I don't know."

"Not really. It's only as weird as you make it. Besides, Mr. Osborn adores you. It's worth a shot."

* * *

"Parker..." Norman said, staring at Peter for a long moment before it finally processed. He smiled big. "Wow! Harry told me you finally came out, but look at you! You look like a grown man!" He praised. Peter blushed at that as he rubbed his neck. "I'm impressed, to say the least. You look amazing, son."

Peter smiled at that. "Thanks, Mr. Osborn," he said softly.

Norman smiled and ruffled his hair. "Harry told me about the issues at home." Peter winced visibly at that. "Relax, kid. Not trying to tease you or anything. I would love the help."

The boy gaped at that. "Wait, what? Really?"

"Yes! I could use the help actually. I know you have the camera Benjamin gave you. I'd like that to use. Basically, I need help running the company website and how to go about advertising. Your pictures are good! Just take pictures of the labs, with some discretion of course, and some stock photos for the site itself."

"I can do that," Peter said happily.

"Great! And there is one additional task. I'm looking around the area for some places to set up a new lab facility. Issue is, I can't go scope these areas myself." Norman led Peter into the glass elevator, the boy looking around Oscorp as the box carried them to the private office. "So, I'd like you to get a few photos of the area."

"Anything in particular?" Peter asked as he watched a lab experiment in the works. He watched them extract a liquid from some storage and the machine whirl it around in the tube.

"The building itself, surrounding area, and even the soil itself." Upon Peter's confused look, Norman smiled. "It helps me figure out what I will be working with. We have some analyzing technology the lab techs have been working on. It basically scans the photo and can tell me everything about the history."

"Whoa!"

"Whoa indeed," Norman laughed as the door opened and they stepped in. Peter examined the office, looking around curiously. He grunted when he was suddenly crushed in a tight hug. "There you are!"

"Hey, Dad. Sup, Pete?" Harry greeted, squeezing the smaller guy. Peter groaned as he was crushed under the weight. "Glad you could make it."

"Yeah, well, I might actually die at this rate," Peter grunted. Harry snickered and released him. "Were you really hiding in here waiting for us?"

"For you? Yeah," Harry said with a smirk. Peter sighed, remembering that, once upon a time, that smirk would have crushed him under its brilliance. "So, The Photographer?"

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Is that like my codename now?"

"Hell yeah. Ya know, like Hawkeye or Black Widow. You're basically Dad's spy-Hey!" Harry huffed when a folder lightly smacked the top of his head.

Norman smiled and handed the file to Peter. "Here you are, son. This has all the locations I have in mind," He said as Peter pulled out the papers. "I have a brief history on them, but not enough to go on for a full inspection. That's where you come in."

Peter nodded, looking over everything. "Alright. I can do that." He said, smiling a bit.


	2. Horrible Day

Another day of class had consumed Peter's time. His leg bounced anxiously as he glanced at the clock. Nearly time for him to get out of school so he could get the last of the photos he needed. All he had to do was get the last photo of some empty lot in Queens and he was set. Not too far from Aunt May's actually.

He blinked as a piece of paper hit his head. He looked at the paper ball and sighed, only imagining what it was. He brushed it aside and let it fall by his feet. "Parker?" The teacher asked, getting everyone's attention. "Why would you litter?"

Peter blushed. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I was just getting rid of something unimportant. I'll get it after-"

"Well, then you won't mind me picking it up then?" She asked, threateningly he realized as she approached and picked up the paper. Peter glanced and it was a crude stick figure with big breasts holding a dick, with a caption written on saying, "If only mine were real!" He sighed as he caught a small snickering in the back. The teacher sighed. "Aim for the trash can next time," She said gently as she shredded the piece and tossed it.

"Yes, Ma'am," Peter whispered, refocusing on the study guide.

What felt like a lifetime later, the bell had rung at last. Peter gathered his things and hurried to his locker, relieved as Harry stood by it, playing with a fidget spinner. He grinned at Peter. "Hey, man!"

"Hey. MJ done with band, yet?"

"She's coming, but thinking we could hit up _Cups? _I mean before we get those photos unless it's on the way there."

"Coffee!" Peter piped up happily, his voice cracking a bit. He blushed as Harry laughed. Peter rolled his eyes and got the things he needed for the weekend. He glanced at Harry curiously. "You doing okay?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Yeah, just uh..." He sighed and Peter raised an eyebrow. Harry had always been terrible about lying to Peter. MJ, bless her heart, was always so trusting of them both. She hadn't had a clue about Harry's mental health. Harry took a deep breath. "Better days," He finally said honestly.

"Just know you can always come over," Peter offered as he zipped up his backup.

* * *

MJ practically chugged her shot of espresso, making Peter and Harry gape at her with worried awe. Harry finally said, "MJ...that's your third one. You good?"

MJ sighed, ruffling her dyed red hair. "Yeah, just gotta game tonight."

"Which one?" Peter asked. "_Smite_?"

"Yeah. I'm hoping my team is going to be available. If I get paired up with people who just AFK the whole match, I will absolutely lose it on them." She sighed heavily as she grabbed her notebook, pulling out some math notes. "But we're swinging by that last lot right?"

"Yeah."

"Where all has Dad sent you?" Harry asked, a bit worried.

"Mostly empty lots. Oh, and a couple abandoned buildings." Harry's eyes bugged with alarm at that. "Don't worry. I didn't go inside. I did go beyond the fence though to get some good shots-"

"Pete, don't ever do that," Harry snapped, startling both him and MJ. Peter blinked as he said, "I get that you're doing your job, but you're tiny. What if you get kidnapped?"

Peter gulped. "What's that supposed to mean?" He muttered.

Harry sighed as MJ squinted at him. "I don't mean it like _that_. I mean...you are short, man. I'm pretty sure MJ can bench press you and she has the weight lifting strength of a kitten." MJ kicked Harry's shin under the table at that, making him grunt and smile. "My point is, you can't go in places like that, at least, not alone, alright?"

Peter sighed and nodded. "I know...It's just..."

"Dysphoria," MJ stated, Peter nodding in agreement. "For the record, you're hella manly, Pete. But manliness isn't the same thing as invincible. You can't throw yourself into dangerous situations. Gotta be smart, alright?" MJ smirked. "But maybe you should join Harry at the gym instead of using the weight set we grabbed at _Angel Street._"

Harry blinked as Peter went red and smirked to the smaller man. "You're lifting? Lemme see!" He said, making to shove Peter's sleeve up playfully. Peter groaned as he fought Harry off, making MJ smile at the sight. "C'mon, Pete! Lemme see them muscles!"

"Cut it out!"

* * *

"I'm home!" Peter said as he entered the house, MJ and Harry behind him. "I got MJ and Harry!"

"Aunt May, I'm gonna order pizza for us all, you want some?" Harry asked as he poked his head into the living room.

May smiled sweetly at Harry. "That sounds lovely, Sweetie." She stood and gave the boy a hug. "Thank you for helping Peter out with the job situation." Harry blushed as May kissed his head, making Peter smile.

Like Peter, Harry had lost his mother a while back. She had gotten pretty sick. Cancer. After that, Norman had basically buried himself in hours upon hours of work and, unfortunately, fallen into the same habits as Harry's grandfather. Harry pushed through the best he could, knowing he could escape as soon as he found an apartment since he'll be turning eighteen soon enough. He only needed to be patient.

Harry made the call as they all made their way up to Peter's room. MJ claimed Peter's bed as the owner of said bed sat at his desk, booting up the computer and getting to work on the photos.

Harry plopped down next to MJ as she booted up _Smite,_ Harry watching her play curiously. MJ had tried hundreds of times to explain to Harry how the game worked, but really, it was nearly impossible to figure out for the genius. He was good with genetics, not so good at games. Peter himself had never been really into video games unless he was watching YouTube. Not able to afford a gaming system himself or a good computer to play on, it was deemed useless to him.

Pizza arrived. Games were played. Sodas were shotgunned like the kids they were. Peter had nearly finished the photos when the power suddenly went out as there was a loud crash boom. All that remained in his room was the glow from MJ's laptop, simply telling her the connection had been lost.

"No!" MJ whined as Peter gulped thickly. "C'mon, are you serious!? I almost won! Man…" She sighed.

Harry rested a hand on MJ's arm as he looked to Peter, turning on the flashlight just as the lights came back on. "Pete?" He asked, noticing the tense silence the guy held. MJ sat up straight, alerted now to the tension. "Peter?"

"Guys...I was in the middle of saving the photos."

"Oh god," MJ whispered, hurrying to Peter's laptop. "Move," She commanded, shoving the boy out of his seat. Harry rubbed his back as MJ quickly got to work, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

Peter rubbed his face. "Mr. Osborn is gonna fire me! This was my first job, other than that stupid bullshit blog that podcast guy started!"

"Doesn't count cuz that guy used your photos without permission," Harry pointed out. "So glad you told me so I could pull the plug on him."

"Oh god! I'm fucked!" Peter whined, his voice cracking as his eyes watered up fearfully.

Harry reached out to say something but MJ let out a sigh of relief. "Not quite, Pete," She said, smiling devilishly to him. "I got _most_ of the photos. A few of the files were corrupted but most of them, you're good."

"That's badass!" Harry said as Peter quickly scanned the photos on the screen. "So, what wasn't saved?"

Peter muttered under his breath as he scanned them before sighing, "Just the creepy building." He checked the time. "If we go now, I can get the photos and save them quickly to email them in tomorrow."

Harry blinked. "Pete, you sure?" Peter looked up to see that Harry was looking outside. "It's pouring."

"Positive."

"Then you're not going alone," MJ simply said, stealing one of Peter's hoodies and sliding on her shoes.


	3. Stay Buried

Peter used his hand to shield his eyes as they approached the building. It was an old decrepit building on the outskirts of town. Harry and MJ stayed close, eying the area suspiciously. Peter attempted to take a photo but it was raining too hard for him to get a clear photo and too dark to see anything.

"Maybe we should go home," He sighed in defeat.

"Hell no!" MJ said as she yanked the camera from his grip.

The boys shouted in shock as MJ dashed across the empty street, practically throwing herself over the fence. "Geez, I forget how she is," Harry groaned as they followed. Harry cupped his hands for Peter, helping him get up to reach the top of the fence. He blinked as he looked around. "Pete! C'mon, go over!" Harry groaned from below him.

"Uh, right!" He grunted as he hauled himself over, landing none too gracefully on the muddy ground. He looked around, blinking in confusion as Harry landed behind him. "MJ?" He called.

Harry blinked and looked around. "Where's she-" Harry grabbed Peter and pulled him behind a wall, covering his mouth to hold in Peter's yelp of surprise. Peter blinked and saw the flashing lights. Red and blue passed by and he visibly shuddered beside Harry. They both froze, waiting a long moment before relaxing as the lights faded into the distance.

Peter let out an audible sigh of relief and looked around, trying to find MJ. "MJ?" Harry called, moving slowly towards the building. Peter followed, looking around anxiously as they entered the building. "MJ, are you in here?" He called again, making Peter jump at the echo.

Harry smirked at him. "What? Shuddup, it's a creepy old house." Peter protested.

Harry snickered at that but gasped as something slammed in front of him with a shout. A loud shriek escaped and Peter blinked as MJ started laughing hysterically. "Harry, was that from _your_ throat?" Peter asked in surprise.

"No!" Harry quickly snapped. "Shuddup!"

"You totally squeaked!" MJ cackled.

Peter was giggling as he snagged the camera from her hands, checking the photos that'd been taken from the inside. "MJ, these are good." MJ beamed proudly until Peter frowned. "Where'd you get this photo?"

He showed her the photo of what looked to be an office with a break in the wall. "Down the hall, why?"

"That break. Doesn't that look super hollow to you?"

Harry eyed it with MJ. "Come to think of it, yeah," He admitted. "Let's check it out."

"And this is why girls live longer," MJ muttered as the boys ran off, following after them.

Harry went into the office first, scanning the area curiously as Peter slipped in behind him. They found the crack Peter pointed out behind the old cabinet. Together, they moved the old piece, jumping back as it toppled and slammed loudly onto the ground. The floorboards groaned loudly and splintered. Harry hurried back but the ground caved before Peter could.

He gasped as he fell, his friends shouting as he tumbled down into the darkness. Once he hit the ground, he groaned loudly, curling up in pain. "Peter? Peter!" Harry called.

"Oh god! Petey, talk to us!" MJ called fearfully.

"I'm good," He groaned up as he adjusted, looking around. He blinked, rubbing his side as he saw the cold metal walls around him before looking behind him, seeing the staircase. "Hey, guys. I think the break leads down here. Do you see stairs?"

Harry looked over and sure enough, there was a staircase. "Yeah. Don't move, I'm coming down. MJ, stand guard."

"You sure?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I got my cell. Set yours to vibrate, just to play it safe,' He said before hurrying down the steps.

Peter examined his camera, sighing in relief when he realized it was alright. He blinked as he looked down the hall, noticing that it was eerily clean. Curiosity got the best of him and he made his way down the hall, using his phone as a flashlight. The hall turned down ever so slightly, ramping into what appeared to be a doorway. The faded symbol above the doorway was too obscured to be able to read. On a hunch, he took a picture, not sure what to make of it.

He continued down, finding himself in what appeared to be a broken down lab. Peter took another few photos, finding test tubes, old computers, and even what looked like barrels under a cloth. He lifted the cloth, revealing a logo he was all too familiar with.

"Oscorp?" He whispered, trying to understand as he looked around. "Yah!" He yelped, pulling his hand back. From under the cloth appeared a spider that scurried away quickly. He eyed the bite on his hand, grimacing at the swelling already starting. "Dammit."

Something fell further into the lab. Peter blinked and gulped, stepping further in. Before him were giant containers, with something black inside. Or perhaps it was only black because of the darkness. He used his phone to try to look inside, only to see a goo that wasn't entirely formed. To himself, he later thought it looked like a glob of slime he'd bought to play with when he had some spare change.

Instinctively, he leaned closer, trying to see if he could find any discernable shape within it. The goo suddenly slammed into the glass, making Peter step back quickly. He blinked as his heart thudded, watching the thing slam into the glass again. A spider-web crack formed and Peter turned quickly, running.

He heard the shattering as he hurried up the ramp, slamming into Harry. "Pete-"

"Run!" He snapped, helping Harry up as he hurried up the ramp with him. "I'll explain later! Just go!"

"You better!" Harry snarled as he moved behind Peter, glancing back to try and see what'd scared Peter. "Get up the stairs, go!"

Peter hurried up the steps, ignoring the loud groaning and creaking of each step as he moved. MJ took one look at the boy and quickly hurried for the exit, knowing something was wrong. Harry's shout stopped Peter as he skidded to the top of the stairs.

"Harry!" Peter called back in fear. When no response came, he gritted his teeth and hurried down, launching down two steps at a time. He found Harry having tripped up the stairs and dragged him to his feet, tugging him behind quickly. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Harry stumbled before catching his footing and followed. They each made it out of the house and into the stormy night, quickly scaling the fence and escaping down the road.


	4. Recovery

Peter wheezed and rubbed his chest as MJ and Harry caught their breaths in front of him. They were hiding under the awning of a closed deli, the streets barely filled seeing any life other than them. "What...the hell...happened?" MJ asked.

Harry, who had a better grasp on oxygen at the moment, finally stood straight. "I don't know what it was. It looked like some kind of animal, I think. I couldn't see well down there. But I think it used to be an old lab," He confessed.

"Not old," Peter finally said. "Under the tarp, there was your dad's logo all over them." Harry gulped as he stared at Peter in shock. "I'm serious."

"My dad with...an underground evil lab?" He asked, frowning. "Pete, c'mon. You must've hit your head."

"Yeah, really," MJ said. "This is Norman we're talking about. This guy's basically looking at a cure for cancer research. Plus, he's kinda your boss." Peter winced at that. "We should get home," She said, shivering as the rain finally started letting up.

"Yeah," Peter said, sighing as he checked his camera, seeing the images of the broken house and the lab stored away.

* * *

Norman hummed as Peter shifted anxiously. "Thank you for these photos," He said simply, smiling at Peter. "There's one missing."

"The storm last night," He sighed, shoulders slumping. "I was downloading and saving and..." He gulped. It wasn't like he could tell his boss how he broke onto private property to get better images, fell through to a secret underground lab, and got attacked by something inside.

Norman just smiled. "All good, son. One thing I do admit is a flaw in our society: Our reliance on technology. It's become our failsafe, but what do we do when that fails?"

Peter, unsure if he was being rhetorical or not, said, "Have a panic attack," out loud, though immediately flushed as he'd meant to keep it to himself.

Norman laughed, of course, and nodded. "That's certainly the best way to put it. Don't worry about it. You're good for today, but are you sure you're okay? You look a bit pale."

Peter smiled a bit as he shifted. "It's been a long day at school," He admitted. It wasn't a total lie.

After MJ and Harry had gone home, Peter tried to fall asleep. Instead, he'd tossed and turned throughout the night, waking up in a sweat when he finally acknowledged the alarm on his phone. When he finally did get up, a wave of dizziness washed over him until he'd stumbled into the wall. He had to take several blinks and rub his eyes before he could see straight. When he tried moving again, it seemed like the world was in slow motion. He finally oriented himself after washing his face, getting dressed quickly. It didn't take long to notice his binder felt a bit snugger and his pants felt almost too short.

He'd brushed it off and hurried to school. Once in the class, he found himself sighing in relief, having just barely made it. Not long into the lecture, his hand snapped up, catching a paper ball being thrown at him. He blinked in surprise, not having moved his head or even seen the note being thrown at him. Of course, it was another obscene drawing and he glared in the direction of the assailant, noting they'd ducked their heads down quickly to avoid being busted. He attempted to toss the piece of paper into his backpack, blinking when it stuck to his hand. Peter gulped and tried to calm himself, shaking his hand in the bag as discreetly as he could.

Instead, he'd found himself with his backpack and its contents stuck to his palms. When he finally freed himself, they all crumbled loudly to the floor, calling the teacher's frustrated attention on him. He counted himself lucky he didn't get detention.

As he made his way to Oscorp Tower to meet up with Norman himself, he found himself trying to muffle his hearing, the sounds of New York surprisingly louder than he could stand until he'd nearly been hit by a car, trying to escape into an intersection. Peter had no idea how he made it but he simply jumped and found himself launched onto the other side of the street, rolling to his feet. He was lucky New Yorkers tended to roll their eyes at theatrics as he hurried away.

Now, standing in Norman's office, he was just happy the man was content with what few photos he'd gotten.

Peter tugged at his collar, hoping to relieve the tension around his neck. Norman smiled up at him. "Go home, Peter. You look exhausted."

Peter nodded then gulped. "Is uh...Is Harry okay? He wasn't at school."

"I think whatever adventure you three went on last night got him the cold," Norman chuckled. "Been in bed, moaning about how bored he is. God knows he has an endless supply of entertainment. I'm pretty sure MJ has been gaming with him online," He humorously admitted.

Peter nodded. "Alright. Thank you again, Mr. Osborn."

"Ah, wait." Norman got to writing and sealed the check in an envelope. "There we are. Can't forget to pay you."

* * *

Peter sighed as he made it home, hurrying up to his room and aiming to toss his wallet onto the desk, only to sigh as the wallet stuck to his fingers. He tried tugging it off then found himself trying to tug both hands off the wallet like a pair of Chinese finger cuffs!

"C'mon!" He sighed, giving up and collapsing onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling blankly, trying to understand what was happening to him. Instead, he just found himself agitated by the grooves in the plastering above him. He then blinked again. His eyesight had never been so defined before. Usually, things would just blur by him. He blamed his unchecked eyes and useless prescription glasses he just kept on his desk.

Peter turned his head, studying the walls. His posters seemed much more surreal than usual, able to see the tiny printing errors from his bed.

He shook this off and curled up, blinking as the wallet fell to the ground. He hummed and flexed his hands, thinking to himself he should wash his hands much more often as he headed for the bathroom. He absently began to wash his hands but stopped as he caught sight of the spider bite on his hand. It had been swollen throughout the day but seeing it then, it had practically dwindled, save for visible veins of red spreading through his hand.

Peter gulped and cleaned the wound before putting on some antibiotic.

"Peter!" Aunt May suddenly shouted, making the boy jump. "Peter, are you home?"

"Yeah! I'm home!" Peter panted, blinking rapidly in shock as he gulped. "I'm in the bathroom!"

"Alright. I'm going to go to the store. Do you need anything?"

Peter hesitated, looking to the mirror. He was clinging to the ceiling, watching his own reflection pale at the realization. "No! I'm fine!" He called.


	5. Revelations

Peter moved slowly along the wall until he was on the ground, shaking a little. "W-Whoa," He whispered, licking his lips. He looked at his hands. Nothing seemed different that he could tell. He gulped and pressed his hand on the wall, finding it stuck when he pulled. When he let out a slow breath, it fell away easily, not taking the wallpaper with his skin thankfully.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down but found himself hyperventilating before the world twisted until he was on the ground.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in his room, Aunt May smiling gently to him. "Aunt May?"

"Gave me a good fright," She teased. "You have a fever, Pete." Peter licked his lips, mouth feeling dry. "You passed out in the bathroom as MJ got here. She helped get you in here and well, we tucked you right in."

"She still here?"

May shook her head. "Left a bit ago. You've only been out for maybe ten minutes," She confessed. She felt Peter's forehead and sighed. "I'll get you some medicine, Sweetie."

Peter watched her get up and gulped. "Aunt May," He called as she opened his door. "I just wanna say...thank you for always taking care of me...I don't think I really say that enough."

May smiled sweetly. "You say it plenty enough, Peter. Now, rest up."

* * *

Peter tossed and turned again in his sleep, panting as flashes of the creature inside the lab went through his head. The sound of Harry's scream startled him awake. He whimpered and curled up, rubbing his eyes. Finally, after his heart settled, he shakily got up and turned on his lamp. His phone read 2:49AM as it charged.

With a sigh, he grabbed it and quickly scrolled down to Harry's contact, sending out a message.

_Can't stop thinking about that weird lab. I'm having nightmares now._

Peter watched the message send before dropping his arm, lost in thought. He blinked when the phone buzzed in his palm and checked it.

_Same tbh. What the hell even was that thing?_

Peter sent out his next message.

_P: No clue._

_P: Have you talked to your dad about it?_

_H: Have I talked to my dad about the secret underground lab that had some alien/monster contained that attacked us after we broke into it?_

Peter rolled his eyes as he smiled before sending his reply.

_P: Cut me some slack. I've had a weird day._

_H: Fair enough. Need me to come over?_

Peter hesitated for a moment before typing away.

_P: No. Ty though!_

_H: K. I'm going to try sleeping now._

_P: Wait._

_P: Your dad said you were feeling sick._

_P: Did that thing get you?_

Peter stared at the screen, seeing no response coming in. He sighed and set down his phone before sitting up. Biting his lip, he pressed his hand to the wall and tried pulling it away. Stuck. Peter gulped and took a big breath before he let himself put the other hand on the wall. Stuck. Slowly, he managed to crawl up the wall, letting out a soft laugh as he pressed himself against the ceiling.

After crawling on the wall for a long moment, he had a thought. "Spider...maybe something was weird with it," He muttered to himself. He bit his lip, thinking before shaking his head. "Bad idea, bad idea."

* * *

"God this is a terrible idea," He told himself as he made to climb over the fence.

A loud bark of a dog made him jump. He yelped loudly as he practically launched high over the fence, righting himself midair to land on the other side. He panted softly as he looked up to see a dog barking on the other side of the street before trotting off when its owner whistled.

Peter sighed, looking at the fence then the abandoned building. He made his way inside, going past the hole he'd created and into the hidden stairwell. The dark creepy hall greeted him again as he shown his flashlight down into it, heading further down to investigate. By the tarp, he saw the spider he'd smacked off his hand, dead. He sighed at the disappointment that the spider had in fact been normal. He knelt down, pursing his lips as he poked it with his finger. He grimaced in disgust before looking up at the containers.

The one the creature had been in was empty. Peter looked around, trying to figure out if it'd escape or if it were still around. He sighed. "This is how people die in horror movies," He muttered to himself. "You're now every sacrificial blonde in the 80s."

Something clanged behind him and he quickly shut off the flashlight as he turned. Steps approached and he hissed a breath, trying to think of where to hide before running up the wall quickly. He clung to the ceiling as three masked men came in.

"Clear it out. Doc wants everything out," One said, clearly the leader.

Peter frowned, watching as they got to work. He crawled carefully along with the ceiling, seeing a vent he could get through. "Hey!" Someone shouted, making him freeze. "Looks like one of the things escaped."

He looked down to see the three inspecting the broken tube. Peter gulped and focused on getting to the vent while they were busy. "Shit. We should let Doc know," The leader grumbled, grabbing his phone. He made a call as Peter carefully opened the vent. He listened to the telltale dial tone before someone had picked up as he crawled into the vent, carefully pulling it closed. "Yeah. Looks like the subject escaped." A pause as the Doc responded angrily. "Yeah. I know. I know. We're going to see if we can-You sure? Doc, I don't mind looking...Right...Right, okay. Yeah. Alright. We'll get the paperwork, Sir."

Peter slowly released the vent. As his hand broke away, his spine tingled and he gasped, watching it fall away. Scrambling away from the cover, he flinched as it clattered hard on the ground. "In the vents!" One shouted.

"Get ready! It'll kill us if it grabs us!" The leader snapped out. Peter froze, hoping he was out of sight as he stayed scrunched up in the vent.

He listened, willing his breath to come evenly. Instead, the tingle in his spine shot straight up to his neck. He only barely heard the cocking of the hammer before he scrambled through the vent. Bullets sprayed over where he'd been and he moved quickly, barely managing to make it to the end of the room. He hurried through and found another vent cover, dropping out of the vent.

_Run_! His body obeyed his instinct as he threw the hood of his jacket up to conceal his identity. He hurried towards the stairs.

"Shit! It took someone!" The leader hissed.

"Do we-"

"The bastard's probably already dead if not wanting to die. Kill it!"

Bullets pinged off the floor behind Peter. He blinked hard as he ran, scrambling back up the steps again before hurrying out of the house. He hurried to the fence and jumped. His body flew over the fence and the street. He let out a cracking yelp as the building across from him flew towards him. He reacted quickly and caught himself, landing on the side of it before scrambling up the side. Once he was on the roof, he ran faster, wanting nothing more than to get away from the men behind him.

He was unaware that the men watched him scramble up the building and away, the leader making another call. "Hey, Boss. Your specimen? It found a vessel."


	6. Infiltration

"Yo, Pete!" MJ called from the entrance as Aunt May let her and Harry in. "Came to visit you and harass you."

Harry smiled. "Geez. Gotta be loud."

"You know how he gets when he's sick. The way he sleeps," MJ chuckled as she led the charge to the bedroom.

Harry shook his head as May smiled. "Say what you will, but maybe her energy'll rub off on him," She said sweetly. "You kids know where the soda and snacks are. I gotta run to work."

"Thank you, Aunt May," Harry said, offering her work bag to her as she pulled on her jacket.

"Thank you, Little Gentleman," She teased before stepping out.

Harry hummed and went to Peter's room. He blinked as he saw the guy pacing anxiously. MJ was just staring at a wall of photos from the house and some notes that were made. "Pete, you trying to crack the Da Vinci Code?" He finally asked.

"Something really bad was in that lab!" Peter finally snapped.

MJ raised an eyebrow. "Uh, ya sure?"

"You didn't see it! It was like a bad cartoon villain lab. With like experiments and stuff!" He said, pacing.

MJ coughed, clearly trying not to laugh. "He might be onto something," Harry told her.

"Yeah but..._your_ dad being an evil lab scientist is weird," MJ pointed out.

Harry hummed as Peter paced. "Pete...What happened?"

"What do you-" Peter froze when Harry lifted his sleeve, revealing what looked like to be a burn with the skin seared off. Peter blinked in surprise, trying to remember. "I must've been hit."

"By what?" Harry asked.

Peter gulped and looked away. "A...bullet?"

The room exploded in noise as MJ and Harry both flipped out on him, respectively. MJ was more of a banshee calling him names and warning him how dangerous it is to be alone at night for him, whilst Harry only scolded him for leaving it untreated.

Once the room finally settled, he was able to tell them what happened, sans the new gift of climbing on walls. Finally, Harry had come into the room with the first aid kit and got to work. Peter tried to pull away when the alcohol hit it but Harry kept a tight grip.

"Don't be stupid," Harry snarled.

MJ blinked as Peter froze. "Hey," She said. "It's just a reflex. Don't be so hard on him."

Harry glared at her for a brief moment before looking to Peter. He sighed, relaxing his features. "Sorry."

"Are you alright?" Peter asked, frowning. He gulped as Harry watched him. "You never replied to my text last night."

Harry sighed. "Cuz nothing happened and I was ignoring it," He said. "You're the one that got shot, moron. Why'd you have to go snooping in a place you definitely shouldn't have? What's gotten into you?"

Peter looked away at that. "I don't know...something felt off about the place and...I had to be sure it was real."

He could see in Harry's face that the guy didn't exactly believe him but let it drop as he wrapped the graze. "Just be careful. You're not Iron Man or Thor," He said, making Peter pout. "As is, you're having trouble with your transition. You've been taking breaks from your binder, right?" Peter blushed and Harry glared. "You're wearing it now...aren't you?"

"Maybe," Peter mumbled. He sighed and turned, reaching up his shirt and unzipping it before tossing it onto the bed. He let out a long breath, his chest at ease now that the compressor was off. He cleared his throat and blushed when Harry started to rub his back. "Hey…"

"I know, but your back is probably killing you, right? Lay on the bed. I'll rub your back," Harry said. Peter reluctantly did so, laying on his stomach as Harry sat on his thighs, getting to work.

MJ looked over everything. "So, the leader is someone they called 'Doc'...Do we know anyone that's a doctor at Oscorp?"

"Nearly everyone," Harry said as Peter grunted, his back popping under the pressure.

MJ nodded, humming in thought. "I mean, obviously there's a specific one." She then smirked as Peter and Harry looked at her. "I do know two boys who could easily get in."

"No," Harry said firmly.

* * *

"If I get grounded for this, I'm throwing you both under the bus," Harry grumbled as they walked through the security gate.

A woman at the service desk smiled. "Hello, Mr. Osborn," She greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, uh, Peter and I were wanting to show our friend around-"

MJ stepped forward at Harry's stammering. "I'm actually working on an article for Midtown High's Newspaper. Harry was willing to give me a tour of the lab as a part of the piece we're working on for New York's betterment."

The woman smiled at MJ's smooth words and nodded, getting her a guest pass before giving Peter and Harry theirs. "Well, best of luck then. Hope you get a good story. Peter, you better bring us a copy next time you swing by." She teased.

Peter smiled shyly and nodded as he clipped on his badge, following Harry. He blinked as he looked around the lab. He watched as the scientists worked around before someone noticed them. He frowned, shivering as the doctor smiled at him.

"Hey, kids," He greeted.

"Doctor Octavius," Harry greeted happily, shaking his hand. "Hey, guys. This is Doctor Otto Octavius. Doc, this is Peter and MJ."

"Nice to meet you both. What can I do for you?"

"MJ and Pete wanted to explore the labs so I thought I'd give them the tour."

Octavius smirked a little at Harry. "Showing off, aren't you?" Peter snickered with MJ at the look on Harry's face. "I'm kidding. Anything I can do to help?"

MJ raised a hand. "Well, you'd probably know more than Harry. Mind leading us?" She asked sweetly.

Octavius smiled and nodded. "Sure thing. Let's get started."

Peter frowned as the doctor showed them around the lab, not sure what to do about whatever his instincts were telling him. He stepped closer to Harry, frowning as he watched the man speak passionately.

"Our genetics division is still in the works. So far, our aim is to find cures for diseases."

"Like cancer?" MJ offered, writing it down.

"I suppose," Octavius chuckled. "But it's more for whatever we happen across so far. No clear goals in mind just yet. Having said that, we are aiming for an improved life. Improving the human mind, so on and so forth."

"So like, the next step in human evolution?" Peter offered.

Octavius smiled broadly at Peter. "Yes, actually. To put it simply." Peter gulped, shivering a bit as the doctor turned and walked ahead.

Peter grabbed Harry and MJ's arms, making the two blink. "Was anyone else super creeped out by the doctor?" He asked.

Harry blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Peter made a face. "He's giving me all sorts of bad vibes, and-and being just-I don't know! You guys don't feel it?"

MJ smiled and ruffled his hair. "You must be on edge from last night," He said. "Dr. Octavius is a good person. He's just working on a big project."

Harry smiled as MJ followed before patting Peter's back. "Relax. And stand up straight. Slouching isn't good for you since you're wearing your binder."

Peter sighed as they walked ahead of him, biting his lip. He shook his head and made to follow, crashing into a cart about to pass. The scientist scowled. "Watch it, kid!" The man hissed.

"I-I'm sorry," Peter squeaked, his voice cracking before he chased after his friends.

The scientist scowled and got to cleaning up the pieces. He snarled when he saw a shattered vial on the cart. "God fucking dammit," he sighed, rubbing his face. He pushed the cart away, trying to think of what excuse he could make to his boss. No way he'd believe some girly boy crashed into him.


	7. Flames

Peter followed the others, watching the doctor suspiciously. It wasn't that the man was doing something terrible, but it was more instinct he couldn't quite describe. He pursed his lips as he followed, hands in pockets.

Harry had come back and bumped him. "Back straight."

Peter grumbled something under his breath indignantly as he straightened up. "MJ already scolded me."

"I don't care. No slouching. It's bad for you." Peter huffed, making Harry smirk. "Goof. Just relax. Oh, we're getting to the testing lab," He said excitedly. Peter raised an eyebrow, to which Harry blushed and rubbed his neck. "I like labs. They're cool."

"But they're your dad's. I thought you hated everything Oscorp." Peter tilted his head as he spoke, studying Harry curiously. The boy shrugged as they walked. He sighed and watched MJ talking to Octavius. "You didn't say anything about the other night."

"Yeah. I'd passed out, sorry. I feel better at least. I think it was shock and a cold, honestly," he confessed. Peter frowned as they walked. "I'm okay now."

A shudder ran down his spine as he watched Harry's reactions. There was something that wasn't being said, that much was obvious.

As they entered the lab, Peter followed the others behind the doctor. "Spiders?" MJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We find that their DNA is a bit easier to track. Ironic given their small size," Octavius stated with a small laugh in his voice. "Their silk actually contains more than half of the DNA needed for analysis, testing, extraction, and so on. So-" He gestured to the tanks that held the spiders, all filled with webs. "When they produce their webs, we would just need to take chunks as needed. We do try to stay away from the spiders themselves so as not to disturb them."

"Has anyone ever been bitten?" MJ asked. Peter blinked and gulped at that.

"Only one person so far, and unfortunately...the results weren't so great. It was a genetically modified spider so its poison was more...reactive to his bloodstream. As a result, we didn't have an antidote at the ready. He was a great loss to us. Having said that, science always moves forward, and we were able to learn from our mistakes," The doctor explained.

Peter blinked in surprise as MJ beamed. "Doctor, for the paper I mean, could we take a picture?"

"Yes, sure! That sounds wonderful. Hope your teachers will forgive the...not-so clean-shaven face. Been more focused on work than personal cleanliness."

"All good. Definitely looks better than when Peter growing out facial hair."

"Hey!" Peter huffed as Harry snickered. Peter got his camera ready as they posed beside the tanks. He smiled at the beaming expression on MJs face as he took the picture. "Oh. And with the youngest Osborn!"

"Yes!" MJ squeaked as Harry groaned. "C'mon, Harry. It'll look great!"

Harry sighed and stood between them. He'd straightened his shirt and gave his best trademark Osborn Smirk. Moments after the photo was taken, alarms went off.

Octavius frowned and took control. "Alright. Everyone, let's get out of the lab. Move slowly and orderly. Kids, time to go."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Could be minor but that's the fire alarm. Chemical explosions are common in the appropriate labs but safety first," Octavius stated as he guided the kids ahead as they left. They aimed for the stairs.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling below them, making them freeze. Peter reacted first before he felt it. He grabbed Harry and shoved him to the wall before the floor caved. Shrill screams rang out before he blacked out.

As he came to, smoke was billowing above him and someone was shaking him. He mumbled before shooting awake. "Peter! Oh, thank god!" MJ gasped and hugged him tightly.

Peter grunted and hugged her. "Shit...I gotta stop falling through floors," He mumbled, back aching now. "Let's...Let's get out of here."

MJ nodded and made to stand but yelped in pain, favoring her leg. Peter gulped, seeing the gash on her leg and got up, using himself as a crutch. "Fuck. Pete, my leg."

"I know. Let's keep moving."

Peter led her through the floor, growing pale as he saw the debris and smoke around them. He looked around for an exit, anywhere. He started to holler for help, hoping someone could hear him.

_Duck._

Peter dropped down with MJ as a fireball flew over their heads. MJ yelped in pain as they hit the ground. He turned quickly to see a giant flame walking towards him. He blinked, processing what he was seeing. It was a man engulfed in flames! He wasn't screaming or hollering or anything. He just simply was!

The man seemed to be glaring at them before stalking by. Peter shivered and tried to pick up MJ who was now unconscious. "MJ...MJ, wake up...MJ!" Peter tried shaking her. He shivered and got her up. He growled in frustration before scooping her up and carrying her down the hall. He did his best to avoid the debris, only stepping over the fallen beams. "I've got you...I've got you."

He moved slowly, unwittingly following the path of the fire-man. He gulped as the man stood at the end of the hall, meeting his gaze. Peter shivered and licked his lips. The man continued on and Peter followed. He was being led to a stairwell, he realized. Once he came to it, he found the smoke lesser and gulped. He heard the groaning of the building behind him and looked, seeing the man walking away.

"Hey!" Peter called, getting his attention. "Thank you."

The man simply nodded before carrying on. Peter hurried MJ down the stairs the best he could. Once getting to the ground floor, he was met with the sight of paramedics and the fire department scrambling around the ground floor until one saw him.

"Hey! Got two kids!" One called as they hurried over.

"Her leg! She cut herself on something," He told them as he coughed hard, being led outside.

The medic took MJ from him, getting her on a stretcher. MJ looked around desperately, trying to find Harry. Instead, he found Norman hurrying to him. "Peter! Hey. Oh, thank god. Harry, have you seen him?"

Peter stared at him for a long moment before stepping back and hurrying back in. "Peter! Peter, no!" Norman yelled, trying to follow, but a police officer stopped him from entering the building. "Peter Parker! Get your ass back here!" He yelled over the clamor of orders being told to him. Peter had vanished from his sight into the building. "Shit...Shit, shit, shit!" He snapped under his breath and rubbed his face.

* * *

Peter hurried back up the steps, trying to get to the last floor he saw Harry. He looked around, trying to squint through the flames before jumping over some fallen debris. "Harry!" He called over the roar.

He tried to see his best before blinking. There was no clearing for him and debris fell behind him, blocking his old path. He tried to think when he squeezed his hands, remembering the underground lab. He pressed his palm against the wall then the other, crawling his way up the wall and around the debris. He blinked in surprise and smiled as he crawled on the walls, making his way through the area.

A shout echoed in his ears and he hurried, rounding the corner. He paled as he saw a black beast fighting the fire-man.


	8. Secrets

Peter froze as he watched the fight from his perch on the wall. His body was shaking as the building burned around him before he got a good look at the black beast. It wasn't even remotely human. It opened its mouth like a gaping maw with a tongue that lashed out at the Fire-Man.

The tongue hit a pillar overhead and debris came tumbling down. The wall Peter was perched on crumbled as well. He leaped away, intending to escape, when the giant beast stood over him. Too quickly, Peter was hit by the beast and pinned to the ground. He gasped and thrashed, trying to fight it off as its maw dripped over him. His vision blurred as he tried to escape, head throbbing.

'I...have a concussion,' He'd concluded as he stared at the beast, losing his will to fight. As his vision faded, he saw a flaming hand punch through the beast.

The next few hours came in blurs and flashes. The flames surrounded him but weren't hurting him. Then he saw MJ crying as she stood over him and the flames vanished as a mask was put over his face. Then Aunt May was squeezing his hand in a white room.

When he could finally open his eyes fully, he saw MJ sound asleep in the chair, her breaths coming in steady intervals. Crutches were propped against the wall beside her and a comic book was laying open on the floor. Peter could clearly see a sunny blue sky outside the window as the rhythmic beeping finally registered in his ears.

He grunted as he tried to sit up. "Now, now," A sweet voice chided. He could recognize that voice from a mile away. "You shouldn't push yourself, Peter."

"Aunt May," He rasped, throat clenching from the dryness. May offered him some water, which he happily sipped at through the straw provided. He gulped down the water as she answered a few silent questions in his mind.

"You've been out for two days. Scared the hell out of me, damn you," She chuckled. "Thank God you don't have any damage, just had inhaled a bit too much smoke and made yourself sick is all."

"What about MJ?" He asked softly.

"Gash on her leg. Had to get stitches. She's doing alright though she needs crutches to keep weight off it for a week. Other than that…" May smiled. "She told me you ran back in there. What the hell were you thinking?"

Peter gulped. "Harry." May's face fell at that. "I was looking for Harry. Is he okay?" May sighed and Peter felt his blood ice over. "May?"

"We don't know. They haven't found his body and there haven't been any casualties so...as of right now, he's a missing persons case."

Peter couldn't really process the next few hours. MJ was escorted out once she woke up so they could run tests on Peter to make sure he was okay. He still had a respirator in his nose after they'd given him the okay to remove the mask entirely. Of course, it was still annoying to have everyone poking and prodding at him. To his relief, no blood was drawn. He wasn't sure what the reaction would be to his new powers in his bloodstream.

MJ was let back in and they were alone for a long while. MJ was the first to break the silence. "Mr. OSborn was pissed when you went back in." Peter smiled a slight. "I think he wanted to bribe the police to let him through to find you and Harry."

"I heard him yelling but tuned it out before getting back in."

"Are you nuts?" MJ asked.

"That seems to be the consensus," He sighed, rolling his shoulders. He sighed, seeing his small chset bulding a slight and grimaced. "Don't tell me they cut my binder." She gave him a look and he groaned. "C'mon. I gotta get a new one now."

"Rather it be that than new lungs," She snapped. "Peter, you could've died. I...I could've lost both of you." Peter gave her a look and she sighed, letting her face fall into her hands. "It's been two days...What if...What if they do find him and...and he's-"

"Stop. We gotta have some hope."

"Why? What about that guy?" Peter frowned. "The dude that was literally on fire! He must've started the fire." Peter thought about it and shook his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean...we he saw us, he could've easily attacked if he was after us. But he wasn't. He just sorta guided us out. And I...I think he saved me."

MJ frowned and nodded. "He did. You were passed out and he just came out, just...on fucking fire. Literally on fire! And you were...were totally okay. It was kinda like...ugh. That horse Pokemon? Anyway, he laid you on the ground and just...flamed off."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he used his flames like a fucking jet pack and flew off!" Peter smiled. "Why are you smiling?"

"You're dropping the f-bomb is funny," He giggled. MJ rolled her eyes. "It is...It means you've got something on your mind and you wanna look into it."

"Fuck yeah I do!" She huffed. "What the hell was that guy doing as Oscorp, ya know? He was pissed about something, but didn't want anyone to die. Bit of a brutal statement, if you ask me."

"You think it was a political thing? Like those peaceful protesters that destroy things?" He asked as he shifted again.

"No...maybe...I don't know," She sighed. "But it's gotta be bigger than us. I mean...that lab we found…And what Octavius was talking about. They're working with dangerous things. What if it goes beyond what we think?"

Peter hummed in thought and said, "MJ...gotta promise me something, okay? No, I'm serious. You can't tell anyone at all what I'm about to tell you."

MJ stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "Of course. Pete, is everything okay?"


	9. Beginning

MJ followed Peter into his room, the guy brushing off his aunt. "I'm fine. Really. We're just gonna hang out and play some video games."

"Oh, alright," She sighed before looking to MJ. "Let me know if you need anything or if he starts coughing a bit hard."

"Can do, May," MJ said, saluting happily, watching as the woman stepped out. She then looked to Peter as he laid on the bed, rubbing his face. "Okay. So…" Peter blinked at her. "Well, you said you had something to show me."

Peter nodded and stood, biting his lip. "Don't...freak out," He said softly.

MJ blinked. "Are you going to flash me your dick?" She joked. Upon his look, she held her hands up. "Sorry. A lot happened so…"

Peter nodded, glancing at her leg. "Why aren't you sitting?" He scolded, making her smile as she sat at his desk. "Okay. Close your eyes."

MJ pursed her lips but did so. She heard Peter take a deep breath before a soft thump was heard above her. "Okay. Open."

MJ opened her eyes and stared in surprise as she saw Peter standing...on the ceiling, upside down. She blinked and tried to stand, but her leg protested. She gulped. "No strings?"

"Nope. And if there were, I doubt the ceiling could support my weight," He admitted. She nodded. "It's the only reason I'm even alive and-" Peter blinked and dropped down, quickly flopping on the bed.

MJ blinked but the door opened, revealing May. "I got sodas," She hummed happily, setting them on the desk. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Peter yawned. MJ blinked, knowing how much he hated lying to his aunt.

May just smiled and nodded. "Alright. I'll leave you to be now."

Peter watched the door before looking at MJ as she looked at him. "Okay...how?"

"I don't know...Ever since we broke into that weird building, it's just been like this." He gripped a Captain America action figure he'd had since he was a kid, opening his palm and holding it so his palm was facing down, the figure still clinging to his open palm. "My hands just stick, my eyesight has gotten crazy better, and I can just hear everything. It's like everything's been cranked up to eleven!"

MJ blinked. "Peter...are you _Twilight_ now?"

Peter blinked then thought about it and shook his head. "I don't think so," He muttered. He threw his hands up. "MJ...what do I do?"

"Well, how does this whole thing work? Like, just crawling on walls and heightened senses?" Peter nodded. "You're so _Twilight_."

"Gross," He groaned. "That was cool back in sixth grade. Now I'm just cringing. What do I do?" He sighed, falling back against the bed. He eyed the details of his action figure, noting the chipping paint. He reminded himself to repaint it later.

"Well...You've got superpowers now...and Harry's missing. Why don't we try finding him?"

"I don't know. When I went back to that lab, there were these guys in there looking for something. Something is fucked up there."

"Well let's go back-"

"No. I'm not...no," He muttered, curling up. "They started shooting at me."

MJ watched him as her fire dwindled. She said and curled up behind him, hugging him. He sniffled and hid his face in his pillow. "Hey. You're okay. No one got hurt."

"But Harry's missing now. And there was this monster inside with the fire guy...What the fuck is going on?" He whispered.

MJ sighed, squeezing him. "I don't know. The police are looking into everything but I don't think...I don't know if they're going to find Harry in there. I mean, there are bodies, yeah, but...they are all the lab techs that were working that floor where the fire started."

Peter shifted, blinking. "Why was that guy there? The fire dude I mean."

"Could have to do with some genetic experiment go wrong?" Peter blinked and turned to her. "Think about it: Oscorp is focused on genetic research. Mr. Osborn changed it to that after his wife passed away. He's a corporate guy and who knows. Harry could have that same genetic disease in him somewhere. If he were to get sick and there would've been a way to help it, Osborn would drink himself under for not doing it."

Peter nodded. "I guess...But what about that black goo monster? And the cronies at that underground lab?"

MJ hummed and smirked. "Sounds like you might've stumbled across a crazy conspiracy. What are you gonna do about it, _Twilight_?"

Peter sighed and nodded. "Let's focus on finding Harry. We can worry about conspiracy theories later."

"Well, you gotta figure out how to sneak into the Oscorp tower without getting police attention. And crawling on the ceilings might end up in getting you in trouble with fingerprinting. Wait, can you do all that with gloves on?"

* * *

Peter tugged at the hoodie and adjusted the ski mask on his face. "Uh, MJ...I don't know about this," he muttered.

"You'll be fine. If anything, keep the Bluetooth earpiece on so we can keep talking. We should consider throwing in some kind of camera so I can see what you do. Dude, what if you can kick ass like this?"

"No. I don't want to hurt people."

"That's fine and all, but people will wanna hurt you. There's nothing wrong with protecting yourself." She said simply. "Let me know what you can find. I'll try and compile some notes and evidence so we have everything we need."

* * *

_Sorry about the delay in the update. I'm going through a lot of emotional issues right now and was having trouble figuring out how to write the chapters to come. I do hope you all enjoy this!_


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